The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair"

(This blog post is part of the 12th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon, hosted by A Shroud of Thoughts)

There can be no doubt that the biggest fad in American television in the Sixties was Batman, but before it The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a television phenomenon. And while its success was short-lived, just as the success of Batman was, it remains remembered to this day. Among its best episodes, if not the best, was "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair."

Despite its title, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. followed the adventures of two agents for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (the U.N.C.L.E. of the title): the suave, sophisticated Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and the quiet, intellectual Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum). As to U.N.C.L.E., it was an international law enforcement and counterespionage organization whose agents came from many different countries (for instance, Napoleon Solo was American and Illya Kuryakin was Russian). Its headquarters was in New York City and the entrance most commonly shown on the TV series was through Del Floria's Tailor Shop. While Agents Solo and Kuraykin faced a number of different opponents on the show, U.N.C.L.E.'s primary opponent was the criminal organisation Thrush, a group bent on world domination. Each episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. would feature an "innocent," an ordinary person who becomes involved in Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin's adventures. During the run of the show, innocents ranged from a suburban housewife (in "The Vulcan Affair") to a chemical engineer (in "The Project Strigas Affair").

"The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" begins shortly before a conference of world leaders is set to take place at U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. Unfortunately, U.N.C.L.E finds itself facing two apparent threats. The first is a mysterious older man named Mr. Hemingway (Richard Haydn), who causes minor problems at U.N.C.L.E. headquarters, including a toy remote control plane directed at its roof and tampering with the building's electrical system. The second and more serious threat (and the one they only learn about later) comes from a mole Thrush has implanted in U.N.C.L.E., who are plotting to kill the world leaders at the conference.

"The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" was written by Dick Nelson, who had earlier written episodes of such shows as Bonanza and Tales of Wells Fargo and later wrote episodes of such shows as Medical Center and  A Man Called Sloane. It was based on one of several two and three page plot synopses written  by Sam Rolfe when the show was in development. One of the things that set "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" apart from other episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is that it is set almost entirely at U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. In other words, it is the only real bottle episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The term"bottle episode" was coined by Leslie Stevens, creator of The Outer Limits, and applies to a TV show episode that is filmed in one location and using a limited cast. Historically, bottle episodes have been used as a cost-saving measure, although this does not appear to be the case with "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair." Although set entirely in U.N.C.L.E. headquarters, "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" was clearly not meant as a cost-cutting measure.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was well-known for its big-name guest stars, and "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" is no different. The mysterious Mr. Hemingway, who wanders around U.N.C.L.E. headquarters causing chaos, is played by Richard Haydn. who had appeared in everything from classic movies such as Ball of Fire (1941) and Forever Amber (1947) to TV shows such as Playhouse 90 and The Dick Van Dyke Show.  In "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair,' the innocent was Kay Lorrison (Zohra Lampert), a shopgirl who is going to get married the next day. Mr. Hemingway "accidentally"smears mustard on her dress and then whisks her into Del Floria's Tailor Shop and then into U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. Naturally, once there Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin treat her with suspicion. 

A nearly unrecognizable Lee Meriwether appears briefly as Thrush agent Dr. Egret, to whom the mole within U.N.C.L.E. reports and who provides the mole with means to commit the assassinations of the world leaders at the conference there. Not many villains appeared more than once on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., but she was one of the few who did. Dr. Egret also appears in "The Girls of Nazarone Affair," where she is played by blonde Marian McCargo. As to how two very different looking actresses played Dr. Egret, it appears Dr. Egret was a master of disguise. In "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair," she is shown removing a mask. 

Taking place almost entirely in U.N.C.L.E. headquarters, "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" required little in the way of sets and props. The laser beam defence atop U.N.C.L.E. headquarters was a recycled blaster rifle from the movie Forbidden Planet (1956). It was mounted upside down as U.N.C.L.E's laser beam defence. An exploding ashtray in the episode was done by fastening a piece of tinfoil with gunpowder onto the bottom of the ashtray and throwing it onto an electrically charged nail.

"The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair was filmed right before Christmas, from December 16 to 18, 1964, and then December 21 to 23, 1964. It aired on NBC on February 1, 1965, and was rerun that summer on June 21, 1965.

Despite being set almost entirely in U.N.C.L.E. headquarters, "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair"is a quintessential episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.  The series was at its best when it combined high stakes action with tongue-in-cheek humour, which "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" does quite well. On the one hand, there are the various ways in which Mr. Hemingway disrupts things at U.N.C.L.E. headquarters, from the aforementioned toy plane to putting guppies in the building's water supply. On the other hand, there is Thrush's plot to assassinate world leaders, not to mention a fountain pen that can destroy a person's brain when pressed against their head. The climactic fight scene between Napoleon Solo and the Thrush mole is among the best in the show's run.

Sadly, the balance between exciting action and tongue-in-cheek humour that made The Man From U.N.C.L.E.a success would not last. Perhaps because of the success of Batman, the third season of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. saw a shift towards over the top camp. Along with the decline in the spy craze that had given rise to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and similar shows, this resulted in a dramatic decline in ratings. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was renewed for a fourth season, but it was cancelled midway through.

Regardless, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. would prove to be a success in syndication and remains popular to this day. In 2015 a movie inspired by the show directed by Guy Ritchie was released, and the original TV show is available for rent on several streaming services. If The Man From U.N.C.L.E. remains popular to this day, it is largely because of episodes like "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair."

The 12th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon Has Arrived

The 12th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon is here! As in past years, this year's blogathon features several entries on episodes from classic television shows.

For those of you who are participating in the blogathon, I ask that you link to this page. I will be updating this page with links to the various blog posts that are part of this blogathon throughout the weekend. If you want a graphic for your post, I have several on the announcement page here.

Without further ado, here are this year's posts.

Realweedgiemidget Reviews: "TV… The Return of the Saint (1979) 'Murder Cartel' Se1, Ep19"

Cinematic Scribblings: "Jeeves and Wooster: 'The Hunger Strike' and 'Brinkley Manor' (1990)"

John V's Eclectic Avenue: "Moonbase Alpha Encounters a 'Black Sun'"

The Wonderful World of Cinema: "A Security Lesson on Alfred Hitchcock Presents: 'Bang! You’re Dead' (1961)" 

The Midnite Drive-In: "The Boy Who Cried 'Wolfe'" 

Another Old Movie Blog: "Ward Cleaver's World War II heroism"

Smoke in the Library: "Burke's Law: 'Who Killed Mr. X?'"

Liberal England: "The last episode of Shoestring: 'The Dangerous Game'"

Dubsism: "Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies – Volume 168: The Rockford Files – 'Beamer’s Last Case'

A Shroud of Thoughts: "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: 'The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair'"

Films From Beyond the Time Barrier: "Staying After Hours in The Twilight Zone"

Moon in Gemini: "My Favorite Thanksgiving Themed Sitcom Episodes"

The Spirochaete Trail: "West Country Tales '82: The Beast (aka An Affinity With Solitude)"

 

The Late Great Len Deighton

Len Deighton, the author of such well-known spy novels as The IPCRESS File and Funeral in Berlin, died on March 15, 2026, at the age of 97. 

Len Deighton was born on February 18, 1929, in Marylebone, London. Len Deighton was eleven years-old when he witnessed the arrest of Anna Wolkoff, who was a British subject and for whom Len Deighton's mother cooked. Anna Wolkoff was eventually convicted of  "attempting to assist the enemy (in this case, the Nazis)." According to Len Deighton a 1992 article in The Sunday Telegraph Anna Wolkoff's arrest was '...a major factor in my decision to write a spy story at my first attempt at fiction."

He attended t St Marylebone Grammar School, and then worked as a railway clerk. He was 17 when he was drafted for his national service, and he served in the Royal Air Force for two and a half years. He attended Saint Martin's School of Art and then received a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, from which he graduated.

It was in 1962 that Len Deighton's first book The IPCRESS File, was published. He had written the novel while on vacation in France. The protagonist of The IPCRESS File was a anonymous working class agent who was far removed from James Bond. The novel proved to be a bestseller and would be adapted as the 1965 movie The Ipcress File starring Michael Caine. For the movies, Len Deighton's anonymous agent was named "Harry Palmer." The anonymous protagonist of The IPCRESS File appeared in several more novels, including Funeral in Berlin, Billion Dollar Brain, An Expensive Place to Die, Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy. 

It was in 1983 that Len Deighton's novel Berlin Game was published, the first of his novels to centre on Bernard Samson, a somewhat jaded, middle aged agent for MI-6. He appeared in seven more novels. Beyond the "Harry Palmer" and Bernard Samson novels, Len Deighton also wrote novels that were not part of a series, including Goodbye, Mickey Mouse, about the 220th Fighter Group of the US Eighth Air Force d up to the Allied invasion of Europe; Winter, about a German family from 1899 to 1945; and MAMista, set in a fictional South American country.

Len Deighton also wrote several cook books, the first of which was  Len Deighton's Action Cook Book in 1965. and several non-fiction books on subjects ranging from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to the Battle of Britain to the Blitzkrieg. 

As a writer of spy fiction, Len Deighton was in many ways revolutionary. His early books, in particular, occupied a place in between the fantasies of Ian Fleming and the more realistic novels of J John le Carré. The "Harry Palmer" novels were certainly gritty and Len Deighton's anonymous protagonist was a far cry from James Bond. He was a working class man who lived in a cheap flat and sometimes even seedier hotels. He shopped in supermarkets and often wanted a raise in his pay. He even wore glasses and had to endless paperwork he had to fill out serving the British government bureaucracy. Ar the same time, however, the plots of Len Deighton's novels sometimes featured elements as fantastic as that of any Ian Fleming novel.  The plot of The IPCRESS File involved mind control. Billion-Dollar Brain centred on a supercomputer and a weapons grade supervirus. His spy novels would have a lasting impact on future spy novels, and he would influence writers such as Charles Cumming, Mike Herron,  and Philip Kerr, Both Jeremy Duns and Derek Thompson have acknowledged Len Deighton's influence on their work. Chances are good Len Deighton will always be acknowledged as one of the greatest spy novelists of all time

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2026

I don't have an ounce of Irish blood in me nor am I Nigerian, Montserratian, an engineer, or a paralegal, so I don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I know plenty of people who do celebrate St. Patrick's Day, so here are some of vintage pinups you can celebrate with.

First up is the lovely Barbara Bates, who is engaging in some St. Patrick's Day crafts.

And here is Martha Vickers with what I assume is a St. Patrick's tree.

Here is the lovely and decidedly non-Irish Olga San Juan watering a shamrock. 

And here is the lovely and decidedly Irish Dorothy Malone decked out for the holiday. 

And here is June Haver perched on a giant hat!

and last, but not least, here's Ann Miller dressed up for the holiday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Judy Pace Passes On

Judy Pace, who appeared on the shows Peyton Place and The Young Lawyers, died on March 11, 2026, at the age of 83. 

Judy Pace was born on June 15, 1942, in Los Angeles. Her father was an airplane mechanic and her mother owned Kitty's Place, which may have been the largest Black-owned ladies apparel shop west of Mississippi at the time. She went to Dorsey High School and then Los Angeles City College. 

She made her movie debut in a small role in the William Castle movie 13 Frightened Girls in 1963. In the Sixties, she appeared in the movies The Oscar (1966), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Three in the Attic (1968), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), and Up in the Cellar (1970). She guest starred in the shows Bewitched, Batman, I Spy, Run for Your Life, Days of Our Lives, I Dream of Jeannie, The Flying Nun, Tarzan, The Mod Squad, My Friend Tony, The New People, and Insight. She had a regular role on the nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and starred on the short-lived show The Young Lawyers. 

In the Seventies, Judy Pace appeared in the TV movie Brian's Song. She guest starred on the shows Shaft, Medical Center, Kung Fu, Sanford and Son, That's My Mama, Ironside, Caribe, Good Times, What's Happening!!, and Beyond Westworld. She appeared in the movies Frogs (1972), Cool Breeze (1972), and The Slams (1973).

From the Eighties to the Naughts, she guest starred on the shows The New Odd Couple and Players at the Poker Palace. She had a recurring role on the web series Beauty and the Baller.

She co-founded the Kwanza Foundation in 1971 with Nichelle Nichols. The group's purpose was to support Black women working in the movie. 

Screenwriter Alan Trustman Passes On

Screenwriter and lawyer Alan Trustman, who wrote the screenplays for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968_ and Bullitt (1968), died on February 5, 2026, at the age of 95.

Alan Trustman was born on December 16, 1930, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He attended the Boston Latin School and The Phillips Exeter Academy. He was 15 years old when he got a job at the First National Bank of Boston. He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1952, and the Harvard Law School, graduating in 1955. His father, Benjamin A. Trustman, was a partner at the Boston law firm Nutter McClennen & Fish, and Alan Trustman went to work there. 

Familiar with the First National Bank of Boston from having worked there Alan Trustman had thought of how one would go about robbing that bank. The idea resulted in the screenplay for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). He had written the screenplay with Sean Connery in mind for the lead, but producer Walter Mirsch and director Noman Jewison cast Steve McQueen in the role instead. This resulted in Alan Trustman rewriting the screenplay to fit Steven McQueen more. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) would lead to Alan Trustman co-writing another Steve McQueen vehicle, Bullitt (1968). He also wrote They Call Me Mr. Tibbs (1970), Lacy Ice (1973), and Hit! (1973). He worked on the scripts for Ace Up My Sleeve (1975) and The Next Man (1976). His last work as a writer as an episode of Fallen Angels in 1995.

His novel Father's Day was published  in 1992. 

Godspeed Tom Noonan

Tom Noonan, who appeared in such movies as Manhunter (1986) and Heat (1995), died on February 14, 2026 at the age of 74,

Tom Noonan was born on April 12, 1951 in Greenwich, Connecticut. His mother was a mathematics teacher and his father a jazz musician. His older brother was John Ford Noonan, an actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Tom Noonan began his career in theatre, including off-Broadway. He appeared in small parts in the films Willie and Phil (1980), Gloria (1980), and Heaven's Gate (1980). He made his television debut in the TV movie Rage! in 1980.

In the Eighties, Tom Noonan appeared in the movies Wolfen (1981), Eddie Macon's Run (1983), Easy Money (1983), Best Defense (1984), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), FX (1985), Manhunter (1986), The Monster Squad (1987), Collision Course (1989), Mystery Train (1989), and RoboCop 2 (1980). He guest starred on the shows Tales From the Darkside and The Equalizer.

In the Nineties, he appeared in the movies Last Action Hero (1993), What Happened Was... (1995), The Wife (1995), Heat (1995), Phoenix (1998), The Astronaut's Wife (1999), Wang Dang (1999), and The Photographer (2000). He guest starred on the TV shows Monsters, Early Edition, The X-Files, and The Beat. He appeared in the mini-series Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III.

In the Naughts, he guest starred on the shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Jury, Johnny Zero, Kidnapped, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bright Falls, and Louie. He appeared in the movies The Pledge (2001), Knockaround Guys (2001), Eight Legged Freaks (2002), The Egoists (2003), Madness and Genius (2003), Hair High (2004), The Roost (2005), Seraphim Falls (2006), Snow Angels (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), The Alphabet Killer (2008), and Follow the Prophet (2009).

In the Teens, he appeared in the movies Late Phases (2014), The Shape of Something Squashed (2014), and Wonderstruck (2017). He was a voice in the Anomalisa (2015). On television he played Reverend Nathan Cole on Hell on Wheel, Detective Victor Huntley on Damages, and the Pallid Man on 12 Monkeys. He guest starred on the shows The Cape, Bar Karma, The Blacklist, The Leftovers, Quarry, Roadside Picnic, and Animals. He appeared in the mini-series Horace and Pete and Dimension 404.

He also wrote plays, two of which were adapted into movies, What Happened Was… (1994) and The Wife (1995).

Throughout his career, Tom Noonan played a wide variety of roles. Chances are good that many will remember him as the troubled Reverend Nathaniel Cole on Hell on Wheels. He will probably also be remembered as serial child killer John Lee Roche in the X-Files episode "Paper Hearts." Of course,he did a number of movies as well as television. He played the villain Cain, leader of the Nuke drug cartel, in RoboCop 2. In Manhunter, he played serial killer Francis Dollarhyde.While he primarily played villains, Tom Noonan was an enormous talent who could bring any role to life convincingly.